Inspired by Toby, I set out this morning to procure some pork chops. These are just a tad different however from what one may ordinarily be accustomed to seeing. These come already smoked, as the package indicates:

To the pit... started them indirect, then finished direct

My goodness, these were the bees knees! My thanks to Toby for making me get them. Tasted like "ham chops." Plated them with a nice big hot potato with crema and chives, and special imported green beans from France.

These chops are smoked like bacon is smoked-- they still need to be cooked. If you have any Latino specialtiy markets in your area, check those. Also, Hormel offiers something similar called ham chops. Perhaps, if you requested your butcher, he/she could order them for you. These smoked ones have tremendous flavor.

Just about every 2nd or 3rd butcher up here sells smoked pork chops - both the kind you need to cook, and heat 'n serve as well. They're really common fare in Western Canada, as is the smoked full pork loin (which feeds a crowd).

If you're a real DIY type and have your own cold smoker, it isn't at all hard to make these either. Just cure a pork loin roast (bone-in or otherwise) and smoke it like you would a ham. Even though I'm trying to stay away from processed meats, I've made a few and they're really good.

Unlike propane, you'll never wake up scorched and naked in another county because you mishandled a bag of briquettes.

Dyal-- I don't know... I've seen your chops in the past, and how much I wished that I could make them like that. This is so phenomenal it's gotten funny-- Once again, you and I thinking/doing along the same lines.

Beercuer (tomorrow morning): "And that was when the stampede broke loose and came through my front door, officer...."

Perhaps I would be well advised to return to the grocer... . I'm sure that anyone who likes bacon or ham would like these as well.

I ran across some of the commercial smoked pork chops (these were by Harvest Foods) last night in the supermarket. They looked good but nowhere near as good as the ones posted here. I'm pretty sure they'd be labelled as "ham chops" anywhere else because they were pretty pink but also "heat 'n serve" and looked like pre-cooked ham steaks. I left them where they were.

The ones beercuer used in this post are a step above the usual fare. Normally I have to go to a butcher shop for these.

Unlike propane, you'll never wake up scorched and naked in another county because you mishandled a bag of briquettes.